Date of Award
6-29-2019
Document Type
Non Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Educational Leadership
Capstone Instructor
Prof. Dorothy Bialke
Second Reader
Dr. Sara Kellogg
Keywords
collaboration, school climate, shared leadership, trust
Abstract
School climate has become a focus of the work of educational leaders due to the potential positive influence on student achievement. The overall climate of a school is ultimately the responsibility of the principal and requires knowledge of effective strategies to employ to support staff to ensure that student learning is maximized. This review of research synthesized current research to determine what specific actions and strategies a principal can employ to foster a positive school climate that supports student achievement. Three themes emerged in the current research to guide a principal’s actions to impact school climate: shared-leadership, collaboration, and trust. The review of research revealed specific strategies that a principal should support including: teacher leadership teams, professional learning communities, faculty mentoring programs, consistent building walkthroughs focused on fostering positive relationships, and intentional support of staff when dealing with external pressures. The use of these strategies both directly and indirectly impact student achievement in schools.